Collar stay



Dec. 28, 1954 D, ROBlNSON 2,697,834

' COLLAR STAY Filed Oct. 27, 1952 FIG. 1 FIG. 2

FIG. 11 24 I 24 j 26 27 28 27 F I G. 13 FIG. 14 as 27 as 25 as 27 7 as KI INVENTOR,

DAViD ROBINSON ATTORNEY United States Patent COLLAR STAY David Robinson,Union City, N. J.

Application October 27, 1952, Serial No. 316,991

Claims. (Cl. 2132) This invention relates to stays, or stiffeningelements, and more particularly to collar stays.

The object of the invention is to provide collar stays which may befabricated of any suitable material, such as stainless steel, the staysof the present invention including a novel means for permitting thestays to be readily picked up from a table or other fiat surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide collar stays which arepreferably made of very thin stainless steel, the present inventionincluding a plurality of projections or protuberances whereby a personcan readily handle or pick up thestays from a table or from the top of adresser or. out of a drawer.

Another object of the invention is to provide stays which are adapted.to be madeof very thin stainless steel, the stays being provided with afinger engaging portion to provide a grip for use when inserting andremoving the stays, the stays of the present invention being easy topick up from a fiat surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide collar stays which areextremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and inwhich like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout thesame:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure1.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1also on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 7--7 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a further modified form of the invention.

Figure 9 is a bottom plan View thereof.

Figures 10 and 11 are transverse sectional views on an enlarged scaletaken on lines 1010 and 11-11, respectively, of Figure 8.

Figure 12 is a top plan view of a further modified form of theinvention.

Figure 13 is a bottom plan view of the form of the invention shown inFigure 12.

Figure 14 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 1414 of Figure 12.

Figure 15 is a top plan view of a still further modified form ofinvention.

Figure 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the form of inventionillustrated in Figure 15.

Figure 17 is a top plan view of a still further modified form ofinvention.

Figure 18 is a bottom plan view of the form of invention illustrated inFigure 17.

Figure 19 is a transverse sectional view on a slightly enlarged scaletaken on line 1919 of Figure 17.

Referring in detail to Figures 1-4 of the drawings, there is shown acollar stay which may be fabricated of any suitable material but whichis preferably fabricated of stainless steel that is very thin. The stayin Figures 1-4 is indicated broadly by the numeral 10, and the stay 10includes a pointed end 11 which is adapted 2,697,834 Patented Dec. 28,1954 to be inserted into a suitable pocket formed in the collar, whichmay be the collar of a mans shirt. The body of the stay 10 is providedwith a plurality of protuberances or dimples 12 which are arranged onopposite sides of the body 10, and the dimples 12 serve to maintain thevery thin body 10 sufficiently spaced above a table or other flatsurface so that a person can readily pick up the stay 10 from the flatsurface. The stay 10 is further provided with a bent end portion 14which is provided with a recess 15, and the bent portion 14 and recess15 coact to define a finger engaging grip which is adapted to be usedfor facilitating the insertion and removal of the stay from the collar.As can be seen in Fig. 3, the recess 15 defines a transverse grooveimmediately adjacent to the bent end portion 14 with the groove forminga protuberance extending out of the plane of the body 10 in the samedirection as the direction of curvature of the bent end portion 14.

Referring to Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, there is shown amodified stay which is indicated generally by the numeral 16. The stay16 again may be made of very thin stainless steel and includes a pointedend 18 which has the same function as the pointed end 11 pre viouslydescribed. The other end of the stay 16 may be bent as at 19 and thebent end 19 and recess 17 again coact to define a finger engaging gripfor facilitating the handling of the stay. Extending longitudinallyalong the body of the stay 16 and arranged parallel with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the body are ribs 20 and 21, the ribs 20 and 21being arranged on opposite sides of the stay body 16. The ribs 20 and 21serve to insure that the user will be able to readily pick up the stay16 from a fiat surface such as a table or dresser drawer.

In Figures 8-11 there is shown another modified collar stay which isindicated by the numeral 22. The collar stay 22 includes a pointed end23, and there is provided a longitudinally extending rib 24. The rib 24,in this form of the invention, extends circuitously or in a zigzagdirection and again the rib 24 serves to facilitate the picking up ofthe collar stay from a flat surface. It will be noted that the rib 24protrudes alternately on both sides of the stay.

There is shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14 still another modification ofthe collar stay of the present invention, and the collar stay in Figures12-14 is indicated generally by the numeral 25. The collar stay 25 maybe made of very thin stainless steel, and includes a pointed end 26 forfacilitating the insertion of the stay into the collar, and a means isprovided for facilitating the picking up of this form of the inventionfrom a flat surface. This last named means comprises a plurality of ribsor protuberances 27 and 28, and it will be seen that the protuberances27 and 28 are arranged or extend from opposite sides of the stay 25.Thus, regardless of which side of the stay 25 is up on the flat surface,it will be .possible for the person to readily pick up the stay with hisfingers.

Referring in detail to Figures 15 and 16 of the drawings, there is shownanother modified collar stay which is indicated by the numeral 29. Thecollar stay 29 may be made of very thin stainless steel, and includes apointed end 30 for facilitating the insertion of the collar stay intothe collar. The collar stay 29 is provided with a plurality ofundulations or arcuate portions 31 which are arranged at right angleswith respect to the longitudinal axis of the stay 29. The undulations 31insure that the user will be able to readily pick up the collar stayfrom a flat surface regardless of which side of the stay is up or down.

Referring to Figures 17, 18 and 19 there is shown another modifiedcollar stay which is indicated by the numeral 32. The collar stay 32includes a pointed end 33, and the body of the stay 32 is bent orprovided with undulations 34, the undulations 34 being arranged at rightangles with respect to the undulations shown in Figures 15 and 16. Theforms illustrated in Figures 8- 19 of the drawing may, if desired, havea bent-end portion and associated finger-engaging recess as disclosed inthe forms of the invention shown in Figs. l7.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that a stay has been provided whichis especially suitable for use as a collar stiffener, although it is tobe understood that the stay of the present invention may be used forstiffening other articles of wearing apparel. The collar stay willmaintain the front edges of a collar in an extended and nonwrinkledcondition and the stay of the present invention includes a grip portionwhich is adapted to be used for inserting and removing the stay from thecollar. Also, the stay includes means for facilitating the picking up ofthe stay ofl of the top of a table, or from the top of a dresser, or outof a drawer. This last named means is necessary since the stay isfabricated of a very thin stainless steel and would be hard to handlewithout the various ribs, undulations, or dimples. Furthermore, the staycan be manufactured simply and inexpensively and can be made in varioustypes and sizes or shapes as desired. The bent portion 14 and recess 15provide an additional grip which facilitates the holding of the staywhile it is being inserted into the collar.

While the'collar stays of the present invention preferably have apointed end, it is within the province of the invention to provide thecollar stays with a blunt end.

I claim:

1. A collar stay comprised of a single strip of flexible material havinga forward end insertable in a pocket in a collar, protuberances formedon opposite sides thereof, said protuberances terminating short of theedges of said strip to prevent slippage of the stay relative to thecollar when the stay is positioned therein, and to facilitate thelifting of the stay from a flat surface regardless of the side thereofwhich faces said surface, the end of said strip opposite said forwardend being curved out of the plane thereof in one direction only to forma finger engaging grip, and a transverse groove formed in said stripimmediately adjacent said curved end and adapted for engagement by afinger nail, said groove being stamped out and forming a protuberanceextending out of the plane of said strip in the same direction as thedirection of curvature of said curved end.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said protuberances are in the formof oppositely extending dimples.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said protuberances compriselongitudinally extending oppositely disposed ribs.

4. A collar stay comprised of a single strip of flat flexible materialhaving a forward end insertable in a pocket in a collar and having atleast one protuberance extending out of the plane thereof, saidprotuberance terminating short of the edges of said strip to preventslippage of the stay relative to the collar when the stay is positionedtherein, and to facilitate the lifting of the stay from a flat surfaceregardless of the side thereof which faces said surface, the end of saidstrip opposite said forward end being curved out of the plane thereof inone direction only to form a finger engaging grip, and a transversegroove formed in said strip immediately adjacent said curved end andadapted for engagement by a finger nail, said groove being stamped outand forming a protuberance extending out of the plane of said strip inthe same direction as the direction of curvature of said curved end.

5. A collar stay comprised of a single strip of flexible material havinga forward end insertable in a pocket in a collar, protuberances formedon opposite sides thereof to prevent slippage of the stay relative tothe collar when the stay is positioned therein, and to facilitate thelifting of the stay from a flat surface regardless of the side thereofwhich faces said surface, the end of said strip opposite said forwardend being curved out of the plane thereof in one direction only to forma finger engaging grip, and a transverse groove formed in said stripimmediately adjacent said curved end and adapted for engagement by afinger nail, said groove being stamped out and forming a protuberancewhich terminates short of the edges of said strip and extending out ofthe plane of said strip in the same direction as the direction ofcurvature of said curved end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,584,839 Cameron May 18, 1926 1,839,337 Palmer Jan. 5, 19322,165,990 Tos July 11, 1939 2,508,580 Mixon May 23, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 421,788 France Mar. 4, 1911

